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Friday, January 22, 2016

For the Love of Steampunk

It’s no secret that Marissa and I are in love with the
nineteenth century. Most of our works have been set in that era, and we’ve been
gleefully blogging about our obsession with various facets of the history since
September 2007. What you’ve probably guessed from some of our posts is that we
also have a fascination with science. So what better than a genre that mixes
both!

Steampunk is speculative fiction that sets fantastic
inventions against a (generally) nineteenth century backdrop. Think Jules
Vernes or The League of Extraordinary
Gentlemen. Steamships ply the waters and sail the skies; steam engines
propel amazing machines across a landscape populated by gentlemen in Bowler
hats and ladies in bustle dresses. If that’s not enough to set you drooling,
consider the incredible world-building that goes into creating what is
essentially an alternative universe.

Now, some of the steampunk out there is rather dark, and I’m
not, so I tend to gravitate to the more adventurous and romantic stories. Some
of my favorites are Kenneth Oppel’s Matt Cruse trilogy (Airborn, Skybreaker, and Starclimber) and Scott Westerfeld’s
Leviathan series (Leviathan, Behemoth, and Goliath). And I have high hopes for The Aeronaut’s Windlass, by Jim Butcher, which is on my to-be-read
list.

And then there’s the Magnificent Devices series by Shelley
Adina. High society meets creative invention. Young ladies find ways to move
from queen of the ballroom to the captain of a dirigible. Be still my heart!

Sound like something you might be interested in too? Well,
you’re in luck. Shelley will be our featured author next week on Nineteen Teen!
On Tuesday, she takes you into the world of steampunk fashion. And on Friday,
we will get her to spill all her secrets, including where the series going
next.

Strap on up your aviators and lace up your corsets. Next
week, Nineteen Teen goes steampunk!